


For Want of Warmth

by talkingtothesky



Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-13 08:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/822022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talkingtothesky/pseuds/talkingtothesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Gene are stranded in the snow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Want of Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> For hc_bingo prompt 'cuddling for warmth'.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Gene slammed his hands into the steering wheel, taking his feet off the pedals and admitting defeat. 

Sam, standing outside the car, splattered head to toe in snow and mud, looked half-furious to not be going home tonight since they couldn't get out of this drift, half-relieved to not have to catch the results of any more wheelspin just yet. 

Gene took a warming swig from his hipflask, then leant out of the open window. "Sorry, Sammy." 

Sam trudged round to him, accepted the drink gratefully. "Maybe we'll have more luck in the morning when we can properly see what we're doing."

"Hmmm. Get in, then." Gene wound the window up, waiting for Sam to walk round and clamber into the passenger seat. But instead the door behind him opened, and Sam got in the back. 

"Thought I might try to get some kip, since we're staying here."

"Oh." Although he couldn't blame Sam, Gene was privately disappointed. He would have quite liked to have sat and chatted to him or something, passed the time that way, but now he was going to be in the driver's seat by himself in silence while Sam slept? He heard Sam huffing and puffing, blowing on his hands and trying to get comfy. 

"You'd best turn the headlights off, you'll drain the battery otherwise."

Gene obeyed, then twisted round to peer at him through the now even darker gloom. Sam's tucked-up knees were resting against the back of the passenger seat, his head on his hands, all his clothes sticking to him. He let out an involuntary shudder. This made up Gene's mind about something. He shifted his arse forward so he was no longer sitting on his coat-tails, then began to work his arms out of the sleeves. That accomplished, he screwed the coat into a ball and tossed it through the gap between the front seats. "Here."

Sam fumbled for a moment, batting the sudden missile away from him. Then he must have recognised the texture of the thing in his hands. "You're giving me your coat?"

Gene shrugged. "I've still got my suit jacket. And you're soaked."

"...Thanks. I think." Sam arranged the coat-blanket over himself, tucking his arms into the sleeves with the back over his chest. Then he settled down again, and the car went quiet. In the front, Gene checked his watch: 2am. He wasn't in the least bit tired, too worried about his precious car and the villains that had led them into this snowdrift in the first place. Were they out there on the same field, stuck just like the Cortina? He could set out on foot to find them, but the torch was buggered and he'd have no guarantee of finding his way back to Sam if he did. Resigned to staying put, he rested his head back and stared at the roof. He'd like a smoke, but it would annoy Sam to have it fogging the car up while he was trying to sleep, and it was far too cold to open the window to let it out. Gene retrieved his flask again and took another swig of whiskey. His arms ached a bit from throwing the car around tight corners all day. If he could only stretch them out, reach across to the passenger seat and drag Sam towards him...curled up behind him, Sam gave a gentle snuffle that soon developed into a quiet snore. He'd tucked his chin down tight over the collar of the coat. God. Gene wished he were in that coat, and not because he felt particularly cold. As he had nothing else to do, he shut his eyes and allowed his brain to work through a couple of familiar fantasies involving Sam and that coat.

He must have fallen asleep like that, because the next thing he was being jolted awake by a sudden shove at his back.

"Guv?" Sam sounded a bit quivery.

"What is it, is the car moving?" He quickly checked the handbrake: still working.

"No, the car's fine. I just..." Gene moved round to look at him again. It was still pitch black outside, but if he focused he could tell how anxious Sam was. 

"Tyler?"

"Thought you'd stopped breathing. Must have dreamt it." 

Gene realised how cold he felt now. Even inside his gloves, his hands were numb. And here they were, both worried about each other when they needn't be. Right. He braced himself for the night air, opened his door and got out. His feet were immediately soaked, wearing his loafers in two foot of snow, but he managed to tramp through it. He opened the back door. "Scoot over, then."

"Hang on, what? There isn't enough room in here."

"The quicker you budge up, the sooner I can stop letting all the cold air in."

Sam sat up and shuffled left, taking the coat with him. His arms were still in the sleeves. Gene sat down and got the door shut. "Time we stopped pussyfooting around." He reached out with his left hand and wrapped it around the back of Sam's neck. Sam's shoulders came up instinctively, and perhaps Gene ought to have explained more, but it was much easier to pull Sam sideways to lie down in his lap, then tug carefully at the coat until he could fasten the buttons along the line of Sam's back, properly encasing him in it. "Better?" He murmured hopefully, now he finally had Sam where he wanted him.

Sam took a long, slow breath. Evidently his sleepy confusion had given way to understanding. "I'm certainly not complaining. But are you sure this is a good idea?" 

"Nope." Gene said, truthfully. "I'm certain I want it, though." With one arm tucked down across Sam's stomach, the other propping up Sam's head, the ache of exhaustion had receded. He let his head droop down until his chin rested against Sam's nearest shoulder. Sam lifted one cold hand to tuck a few strands of Gene's hair behind his ear, then tucked his fingers over Gene's hand on his stomach and curled up to await the light of dawn.


End file.
